Freezing Eternity: Lord Rama shines in Ramayana so do I in Hariyana!!!

I can proudly put in my Karma book, which might lead me to heaven or hell, that I too have lived the efficacious life of Lord Ramachandra! Are you curious? Do you badly want to hit me for comparing my life to that of the greatest hero in the Hindu mythology? Do you want to pray Yama personally to give me hell for the analogy of Lord Rama’s life? I will give you one more statement to do the above more hardly! I live the life of Lord Rama everyday!

Well, I can prove it! So let’s start with the life of the lord Himself. According to the Kambar, the poet who composed the prestigious Kambaramayana, there are six chapters in the life of the lord. In Tamil language, the chapters are referred to as Kandas. There are six such Kandas. Bala Kandam, Ayodhya Kandam, Aranya Kandam, Kishkintha Kandam, Sundara Kandam, Yutha Kandam.

I hereby assume that all of you who read this know the great epic. If not please refer here. And let me start the comparison under the blessings of lord Rama.

First of all, I study at College of Engineering, Guindy which is at a distance of 15 Kms from my home. I reside at Chromepet. I use four modes of transport to reach college every day. Bike, Bus, Train and Walk/Run.

BalaKandam: (Home Chapter)

Lord Rama lived a luxurious, sorrow-free life in this chapter of Ramayana. He had the love of his mother, the protection of his father, the respect of the citizens, the trust of his brothers and the blessings of the Lord. He was indeed born with a silver spoon, in a bed of roses.

So, I am daily woken up my dad and my mother immediately offers me a cup of coffee or tea after brushing. I start getting ready for my college in a lethargic manner. My sister helps me in my preparation of the notes and books to be taken. These three do everything for me. Preparing my breakfast and lunch, Ironing my shirt, taking my bike to the gate from the parking lot. The parking lot is 5 feet from the gate! I ride my bike from home to MIT which is nearly 2Kms from my home. This isn’t a luxurious life?!

Ayodhya Kandam: (MIT Chapter)

He was trained by the family Guru Sage Vashishtar and occasionally by other sages. Once Sage Vishvamitra took him to a deep ghostly forest to watch out for demons and he started performing some kind of Tapa. He with his brother Lakshmana guarded the sage and killed the demon Tadagai using the divine astras. Then he went on to defeat other demons like Marichan and Subaghu and he married Sita after breaking the famous, powerful Shiva bow! This period of his life showed his strength as a Kshatriya and a man’s valor.

So, I was trained to ride my bike by a great sage (Myself!) during my ninth standard. I usually ride through the bumpy roads causing my spine to twist and break like a kaimurkku which my grandma usually prepares for me. And not to forget, there are always aunties and uncles who trigger me to apply brakes and pull words from my mouth. These bumpy roads and the citizens give me rigorous training for me to face the demon who awaited me at MIT. It’s the college near railway station where I usually park my vehicle. This supposed to be a great college has two gates, one near the station (Hostel Gate) and the other (Main Gate) a few hundreds of meters away from it. One needs to cross the main gate and reach the parking lot near the hostel one and hence forth reach the station easily. I am a lazy guy yet a daft person. As I near the college’s main gate, I usually peek in looking for demons (The watchmen). Actually you must have a BLUE colour sticker pasted in your vehicle to be allowed inside. If you have no sticker or a red one, you must park it near the main gate and not near the hostel gate. You got it. I have a red one. And I fight these demons using the verbal astra and trespass the road to hostel gate. Sadly sometimes I get caught. I have to answer the senior most demons yet park near the main gate and walk till the station. I usually read novels or newspapers if I get caught and have to walk. Isn't this a training period?

Aranya Kandam: (Station Chapter)

Now Lord Rama after the training goes to forest because of Kaikeyi. He walked through the forests most of the time. He lives peacefully there for some time and loses Sita to the treachery of Maricha. He searched for her impatiently asking every tree, pond, animal there. He wanted to find her somehow. He found Jatayu and learned about the kidnapping of Sita and buried him. He kept on wandering through the dense forests reaching south from north.

So I, after the successful trespassing of MIT, park my vehicle and walk slowly to the station. The road to the station from MIT also looks like a path in a forest. But I lose my train to the treachery of time. When in India do the buses and trains come in time? I run to the station and ask everyone there about the time of arrival of the next train. I usually end up seeing some acquaintance or a bestie of mine and learn about the next train. No, I don’t bury him (:P)!! I keep wandering on the platform from the bench to the edge of the platform and watch for the next train.

Image: Harikrishna Raghuraman

Kishkintha Kandam: (Train Chapter)

Lord Rama on the advice of a sage reached Rishyamuga parvam and meets Sugriva and Hanuman. Initially he and Lakshmana were mistaken as the enemies by the vanaras. Later they understood that they were otherwise. He killed Vali as Sugriva requested, thereby earning the trust of Sugriva. Hanuman and Sugriva became close to the lord and they promised to help him in finding Sita. Rama and Lakshmana took rest after several days of travel. Hanuman and others set on a voyage to the south of the Indian Ocean to find Sita.

So I, after hearing the train horn, stand up and walk near the edge of the platform. Initially I mistake it to be too crowded seeing young chaps hanging out. Later I find that these are hyper youths who want to show off their special (!!) talents to the public and there is enough space inside for me to sit. I sit in a place killing my breath and cough to earn the trust of the person beside me. The train gets crowded in the next few stations and I start reading a book to relax after such tiring encounters. I bend every time low to check if my destination has come. The person sitting near the window promises to tell me when the station comes. And I get down at Guindy and walk towards the bus stop.

Image: Google Images

Sundara Kandam: (Bus stop Chapter)

Here Our Lord has no other work except to wait for the arrival of Hanuman. He waited patiently. In the mean time, Hanuman went to Lanka and found Sita. He got Kanaiyazhi from her and fought with the Ravanan’s mob and returned to Rama. He happily announced that he had found Sita. Lord Rama embraced him. But Hanuman said that they had a great deal of people to fight to get Sita back. Rama announced, “WAR!”

So I, after coming out of the railway station go to the bus stop and wait patiently for the bus to come. The M21G or the M119B which starts from Guindy usually stands near the corner. The bus drivers and the conductors have their cups of tea and little chats before starting the bus. I have no other option but to wait. I wait patiently looking at my watch. When I see the sight of the bus, I rejoice like a small child seeing its dad. But usually the buses to Anna University from Guindy are so free that we will be crushed inside the bus!!! But I will make a strong determination to board it in-spite of the huge crowd. I announce, “BOARD!”

Image: Harikrishna Raghuraman

Yutha Kandam: (Bus Chapter)

Lord Rama and the vanaras crossed the mighty ocean by constructing a controversial bridge and reached Ceylon. They fought with the Lankans bravely with honor One of the Lankans, Vibhishna came to the Lord and announced that he would be with the Lord there after. He surrendered to the Lord. They also fought back. Indrajit knocked down the Lord and his brother by using Nagasthra. Hanuman flew to the mountains on the advice of Jambhavan and brought back the Sanjeevi Mountains and helped them regain consciousness. After a great deal, they won the war and rescued Sita.

So I, after boarding the bus, somehow manage to stand on one leg. I fight a number of people to get a place to keep my other leg down. They too fight back bravely. The Lankans here (the co-passengers) surrender to me for I am strong than most of them. The huge people with orca fat knock me down with their powerful boulders. The conductor gets down from his seat to give tickets to the people in front and thereby giving me a place to sit. He helps me regain my composure. After a great deal, I get down from the bus. And I am lucky enough to be here alive to tell you my great life after travelling in those numerous buses!

Image: Google Images

Pattabishekam: (Next? Rest)

After the victory, everyone reached Ayodhya and they celebrated Rama’s Pattabishekam. And there is a myth that Lakshmana went to sleep straightly since he had to guard Rama without sleeping in his last 14 years.

So I, after getting down from the bus victoriously, I retire to the famous Sundial of my college and take rest there since I had to guard my purse and cell without relaxing in my last 1.4 hrs.